Daniel Micanek virtual Blog – Like normal Dan, but virtual.
The vExpert program, initiated by VMware by Broadcom, is a community recognition initiative that honors individuals for their substantial contributions to the VMware community. Open to anyone passionate about VMware products and services, the program seeks those who actively share their […]
Nested ESXi continues to be an invaluable resource that I use on almost a daily basis from solution prototyping, customer reproduction to automated lab deployments supporting both VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) and VMware vSphere Foundation (VVF), the use cases are simply endless! While you can […]
Using Nested ESXi for VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) Workload Domain fails with vSAN ESA Auto Disk Claim
As of VMware Cloud Foundation 5.1.0, you can now use the new vSAN Express Storage Architecture (ESA) when deploying a VCF Workload Domain where as in earlier releases, only the vSAN Original Storage Architecture (OSA) was supported, which is typically what I deploy for testing purposes. While working on some enhancements to my VCF Automated […]
By default, SDDC Manager uses the online VMware Depot for downloading all software updates (security, patch, upgrade) for life-cycling a single VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) instance. SDDC Manager can also support air-gapped or disconnected environments by leveraging the VCF Offline Bundle […]
Introduction | In Previous blog, we covered Static routing on NSX-T Tier-0 router with Active-Active mode. In this blog, we will cover OSPF configuration on NSX-T Tier-0 router to achieve North-South connectivity. […]
What VMware Private AI Foundation with NVIDIA includes on VCF 9.x, which features need the add-on and NVIDIA AI Enterprise licenses, and what to prepare.
Short answer: VMware Private AI Foundation with NVIDIA is a solution on top of VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) for running AI workloads on NVIDIA GPUs. On VCF 9.x it adds deep learning VMs, GPU-enabled VKS clusters, pgvector databases in Data Services Manager and Private AI Services (model runtime, data indexing, Agent Builder). You need a VCF subscription, the Private AI Foundation license, and an NVIDIA AI Enterprise license when you use vGPU.
The product name is unchanged since the 2024 launch: VMware Private AI Foundation with NVIDIA. It is not a separate platform. According to the Broadcom guide, it builds on VCF and adds GPU- and AI-centric functionality to VCF Operations, VCF Automation and VMware Data Services Manager. The current documentation covers releases 9.0 and 9.1, aligned with VCF 9.0 and 9.1.
| Layer | Component | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| VCF | Workload domain with GPU-enabled ESX hosts | vGPU (time slicing or MIG) or GPU passthrough |
| VCF | Supervisor and VKS clusters with GPU workers | Kubernetes-based AI applications |
| VCF | Deep learning VM image | Preconfigured VM for data scientists and model validation |
| VCF | VCF Automation catalog items | Self-service provisioning of deep learning VMs and GPU VKS clusters |
| VCF | Data Services Manager | PostgreSQL with the pgvector extension |
| VCF | Private AI Services | Model runtime and API gateway, data indexing and retrieval, Agent Builder |
| NVIDIA | vGPU host driver, GPU Operator | GPU access for VMs and Kubernetes |
| NVIDIA | NVIDIA AI Enterprise, NGC catalog, NIM | Licensed drivers, AI containers and inference microservices |
The 9.0 deployment requirements list three licenses: the VCF subscription, the VMware Private AI Foundation with NVIDIA add-on, and NVIDIA AI Enterprise for vGPU. With the VCF license alone you can deploy AI workloads with or without a Supervisor and use GPU metrics in vCenter and VCF Operations. The add-on unlocks:
The NVIDIA side is licensed separately. The 9.1 documentation states that vGPU deployments need an NVIDIA AI Enterprise license, while GPU passthrough does not. At VMware Explore 2025 Broadcom announced that Private AI Services would become a standard part of a VCF 9.0 subscription, so check your current entitlement in the Broadcom Support Portal before buying the add-on.
Private AI Services runs on a GPU-accelerated Supervisor. From the release notes:
| Version | VCF | VKS Kubernetes | NVIDIA GPU Operator |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0.x | 9.0 | 1.32 | 24.9.0 |
| 2.1 | 9.0.2, 9.1 | 1.33 | 25.10.1 |
The model runtime supports vLLM, Infinity and llama.cpp. Version 2.1 adds an MCP tool gallery for agents and observability for models and AI applications. Both versions use PostgreSQL 16.8 with pgvector 0.8.0.
If you are still sizing the platform, see my vSphere 9.0 product line comparison and notes on deploying a minimal VCF 9.0 lab.
Practical esxcli storage reference for ESXi 8: adapters, rescans, devices, paths, NMP/HPP multipathing, Fibre Channel, VMFS unmap, snapshots and NFS.
Short answer: esxcli storage is the ESXi shell namespace for everything below the datastore: HBAs, rescans, devices, paths, multipathing, VMFS, NFS and Fibre Channel. The commands you use most are core adapter list, core adapter rescan, core device list, core path list, nmp device list, san fc list, filesystem list and vmfs unmap. The syntax below is valid for ESXi 8.0 U1 and later. Check the ESXCLI reference for your exact build.
The ESXCLI 8.0.1 reference lists these sub-namespaces:
| Namespace | Used for |
|---|---|
| core | Adapters, devices, paths, claim rules, PSA plugins |
| nmp | Native Multipathing Plugin: PSP and SATP per device |
| hpp | High-Performance Plugin (local NVMe, NVMe-oF) |
| san | FC, FCoE, iSCSI and SAS adapter details and statistics |
| fpin | Fabric Performance Impact Notifications |
| filesystem | Mounted volumes, mount/unmount, rescans |
| vmfs | VMFS extents, UNMAP, snapshots and resignaturing |
| nfs, nfs41 | NFS v3 and v4.1 datastores |
| vvol | vVols storage containers, protocol endpoints, VASA providers |
| osdata | ESXi OSData partition |
| iofilter, vflash | I/O filters and the legacy Flash Read Cache |
# List all storage adapters (vmhbaX), driver and link state
esxcli storage core adapter list
# Rescan all adapters for new devices and remove dead paths
esxcli storage core adapter rescan --all
# Rescan a single adapter
esxcli storage core adapter rescan --adapter vmhba2
# Pick up new VMFS volumes after the rescan
esxcli storage filesystem rescan# All devices known to PSA, or one device
esxcli storage core device list
esxcli storage core device list --device naa.600a098038303053453f463045727a4a
# All paths, or the paths of one device
esxcli storage core path list
esxcli storage core path list --device naa.600a098038303053453f463045727a4a
# VAAI primitive support per device
esxcli storage core device vaai status getThe naa. identifier is only an example. Use core device list to find yours, or see Broadcom KB 316540 Identifying disks when working with VMware ESXi.
# Devices claimed by NMP with their SATP and PSP
esxcli storage nmp device list
# Available SATPs and their default PSP
esxcli storage nmp satp list
# Set Round Robin on one device
esxcli storage nmp device set --device <naa.id> --psp VMW_PSP_RR
# Switch paths after every I/O (only if your array vendor recommends it)
esxcli storage nmp psp roundrobin deviceconfig set --device <naa.id> --type iops --iops 1
# Devices claimed by the High-Performance Plugin (NVMe)
esxcli storage hpp device list# WWNN, WWPN, port state, speed and fabric name per FC HBA
esxcli storage san fc list
# Link errors, loss of sync, frame counters
esxcli storage san fc stats get
# LIP reset of one FC adapter
esxcli storage san fc reset --adapter vmhba2san fc reset performs a LIP reset. All paths through that HBA drop for a moment. Run it only when the device has a working path through another adapter, or in a maintenance window.
# Mounted volumes with UUID, type, size and free space
esxcli storage filesystem list
# Extents (backing devices) of each VMFS datastore
esxcli storage vmfs extent list
# Manual space reclamation on a thin-provisioned LUN
esxcli storage vmfs unmap --volume-label Datastore01 --reclaim-unit 200
# Unresolved snapshot/replica volumes (after array snapshot or DR test)
esxcli storage vmfs snapshot list
esxcli storage vmfs snapshot mount --volume-label Datastore01
esxcli storage vmfs snapshot resignature --volume-label Datastore01Use mount when the original volume is not visible to the host (for example at a DR site). Use resignature when the original and the copy must be mounted side by side.
esxcli storage nfs list
esxcli storage nfs add --host 192.168.10.20 --share /vol/ds01 --volume-name NFS-DS01
esxcli storage nfs41 list
esxcli storage nfs41 add --hosts 192.168.10.20,192.168.10.21 --share /vol/ds02 --volume-name NFS41-DS02For more NFS client tuning, see nConnect support in the ESXi NFS client.
Unmount the datastore first (vSphere Client, or esxcli storage filesystem unmount), then detach the device before the array team unmaps it:
esxcli storage core device set --device <naa.id> --state off
esxcli storage core device detached listFor the other namespaces (network, system, software, vSAN), see my esxcli commands for ESXi 8.0 overview and new ESXCLI commands in vSphere 8.0.
To prevent ESXi from PSOD’ing when an Intel Hybrid Consumer CPU is detected with non-uniform capabilities, a workaround can be applied to ignore the uniformity miss-match which is needed before the ESXi installer fully boots up and also after the initial reboot. For those looking to fully […]
With the introduction of the ESXi Configuration Store back in vSphere 7.0 Update 1, all ESXi configuration changes should be managed using either the configstorecli for an individual ESXi host or leveraging the new vSphere Configuration Profiles (VCP) for scale with vCenter Server. For certain […]
VMware Fusion Pro is free for personal, educational and commercial use, with no license key. Mac requirements and Broadcom portal download steps.
Short answer: Yes. Since 11 November 2024, VMware Fusion Pro is free for personal, educational and commercial use, and no license key is needed. The free terms apply from Fusion 13.5.2 onward. Current releases (25H2, 26H1) need a Mac that officially supports macOS 15 Sequoia or later. Download it from the Broadcom Support Portal after registering. At the key prompt, pick the free option.
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| May 2024 | Fusion Pro (and Workstation Pro) made free for personal use; commercial use still required a subscription. |
| 11 Nov 2024 | Free for commercial, educational and personal users; the paid editions are no longer sold. |
| Oct 2025 | Move to calendar versioning: Fusion 25H2. |
| May 2026 | Fusion 26H1 (build 25388279); release notes repeat that it is free for all use and needs no key. |
The licensing rules are in Broadcom KB 368667 and the November 2024 announcement. Customers with an existing commercial contract keep their support until the end of the term. After that, support is community forums and documentation.
Yes, for Fusion 13.5.2 and later. Older builds such as Fusion 12 are not covered by the free terms, and they do not support current macOS anyway. There is no separate “free edition” with fewer features: the free download is the full Fusion Pro. If you are still on an old build, upgrade to a current one instead of looking for a Fusion 12 key.
| Fusion version | Host Mac | RAM | Disk |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25H2 and later (incl. 26H1) | Any Mac that officially supports macOS 15 Sequoia or later (Apple silicon or Intel) | 8 GB min, 16 GB+ recommended | 1.5 GB + at least 5 GB per VM |
| 13.x | Any Mac that officially supports macOS 12 Monterey or later | 8 GB min, 16 GB+ recommended | 1.5 GB + at least 5 GB per VM |
Source: System Requirements for Fusion Pro. If your Mac cannot run macOS 15, Fusion 13.x (13.5.2 or later) is the newest line that runs on it and is still free to use.
support.broadcom.com..dmg.Download only from the Broadcom portal. Third-party “free download” mirrors and GitHub repositories that repackage Fusion are not Broadcom sources, and the product is free anyway.
Per the Fusion 26H1 release notes, 26H1 adds VM creation and last-powered-on timestamps, basic remote connections to ARM-based ESX hosts, and newer guests (Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, Fedora 43/44, SLES 16, openSUSE 16.0, FreeBSD 15.0). It also includes a security fix for CVE-2026-41702. Keep Fusion current: desktop hypervisors receive regular VMSA security advisories.
If you want a free hypervisor for a server rather than a Mac, see Free VMware ESXi 8.